Worldwide solar calendar and phases of the moon of watches

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns an electronic and mechanical device incorporated in watches and wrist bands enabling double worldwide representation of solar calendar and phases of the moon. The first, pictured on a circular LCD display panel, displays all year round, the day and night evolution at standard time or winter time; the second, digitally displayed, only the standard sunset time. The mechanical part adapts the phases of the moon to the two hemispheres.

The first important watch-making realization dates back to 1301, and isthe work of Canon Etienne Musique. This large watch in the cathedral ofBeauvais already displays the phases of the moon which help in selectingreligious songs. In this same cathedral, five centuries later, anengineer, Lucien Verite, completed in 1868 an astronomical watch with anassembly of 90,000 parts for 68 automats and 52 dials, 2 of which arefor sunrises and sunsets and another one is for the phases of the moon.These two watches still work, and keep impressing the faithful and thevisitor. Closer to us, the “Calibre 89” by Patek Philippe indicatessunrises and sunsets among 32 other complications, the last one, “StarCaliber 2000”, integrates six new inventions and determines mechanicallysunsets and sunrises as well as the phases and the orbit of the moon. Itis made in 20 copies with five sets of four watches.

There has always been on the market astronomical solar and lunarwatches. However, even though it may be easy to control the phases ofthe moon, a satisfactory mechanical or even electronic solution to theextreme complexity of solar ephemeris has not yet been found.

The present invention consists in integrating into any watch, even themost luxurious and reticent to digital manipulations, some electronicsin order to display all the sunsets and sunrises, over the whole earth,without any number to support it. The first solution, imaged, consistsin a circular LCD screen located at the periphery of the 24 hour dial onwhich, along with the evolution of seasons, an image of the night isshown between the sunset time and the sunrise time. The second solution,derived from the first, consists in displaying on the window (2) onlythe digital sunset times.

Concerning the phases of the moon, valid for both hemispheres, it is anadditional complication added to the patent FR 2,790,564 that enablesthis performance.

The technique which enables the microprocessor to position, day afterday, within the programmed limit, the image of the night according tosolar time corresponds to a system that takes into account twoparameters: the symbol of a parallel 60° N and the sumbol of the day onthe date window (1.1). These two pieces of information implicateautomatically a third one, which is the sunset time at that latitude, atthe solar time, a time schedule valid for centuries. The sunset table onthree parallels has been made based on the data gathered by the Bureauof Longitudes at the Paris Observatory, founded in 1794. The first andfourth columns display, starting at January first, the days along theyear which correspond to 5 minute advances of the sunset time. Thenumber of the latitude is selected and can vary according to the choiceof the watch-makers.

The second part of the technique consists in selecting regular timeschedule changes, every five minutes, at irregular numbers of days, asdictated by these time schedules. These time intervals can vary from oneday to three weeks.

The third part consists in attributing to each day of a time schedulechange a code number corresponding to the sunset time on that day.

The graduated outside periphery (6) illustrates the relationsestablished between the time schedules of the 24 hour dial, with 12divisions per hour, and a code system that represents them.

In order to be able to display all the ephemeris at the polar circle,i.e., a progression of the night over 12 hours in 6 months, it isnecessary to divide the hours into 12 intervals of 5 minutes, whichgives a total number of 144 intervals around the dial. Midnight isrepresented by the code 0, the twelfth 5 minute interval on the sunsetside corresponds to 23:00 and 01:00 at sunrise, code 18 to 22:30 and01:30, code 72 to 18:00 and 06:00; the sunrises being placed in fullsymmetry with respect to the sunsets by a derived electronic circuit.

Thus, the proposed system takes finally into account the symbols of aparallel, of a date, and of a code making it possible to display theexact sunset time, but only at the precise location of that parallelwith a time reference meridian such as the Greenwich Meridian. Anydisplacement in any direction from that intersection results in that thedisplay time schedule does no longer correspond to reality.

In order to illustrate the extreme complexity of the global solarephemeris, the following table presents the changes in the timeschedules resulting from moving from East to West: Displacement = Length1 hour = 15° Distance over 1° = 4 minutes Equator 40,000 km 1,666 km 111km 40° 33,000 km 1,375 km  91 km 50° 27,000 km 1,125 km  75 km 60°21,000 km   875 km  58 km 66° (P.C.) 18,000 km   750 km  50 km

Thus, a displacement of 58 km along the 60° parallel is equivalent to 4minutes.

Faced with such a situation, no scientific calculation can seriouslyhelp, one must trust the only judge, in the circumstance, the sun, byassisting to its sunset in the new location. Then, by entering thecorrection via the push button (4).

Example: if the sunset on that day was at 15:35 instead of the 15:00displayed, an extended push on (4) triggers the correction process, then6 short pushes toward noon advance, for each push, the time schedule byfive minutes on the window (2) and by one interval on the screen (1). Alast extended push on the push button (4) confirms the correction whichbecomes permanent for that location. The same push button enables alsothe adaptation of the two LCD screens, the circular screen and thewindow, to legal time, according to the same method. These correctionsare added to the sunset as well as to the sunrise, which breaks with thesymmetry (see Figure).

In summary, here is a watch that, by combining harmoniously mechanicsand electronics, has the ambition to become the first astronomical watchat the scale of both hemispheres for any location on the ground or atsea.

This watch is not distinguished from any other, each creator willimprint his or her talent, it has hands that indicates time on a dialthat is round, oval, rectangular, day, night, simple or with diamonds,but, in order to justify its astronomical appellation, it mustimperatively integrates on the dial a moon that does not take more spacethan its disc, and that always remains well visible and legible whateverthe day or night background (2&3) of the dial.

Such a moon has been the object of a recent patent filed in 1999 andpublished under the number U.S. Pat. No. 2,790,564. FIG. 3 illustratesthe evolution of the phases as drawn by a double cache revolving in adirection contrary to the hands of the watch, between a round cut in thedial and a clear background. This display, however, is only for thenorthern hemisphere.

Since the solar ephemeris concerns both hemispheres, it is beneficial togrant to the moon also the possibility, at each passage across theequator, to present an inverted image, as seen in a mirror. This isobtained via a winding mechanism (5) which, when pulled or pushed,reverses the rotation direction of the cache, then, by turning it to theright or to the left, makes it possible to actualize the phase, goingdirectly from phase 9 to phase 13 (FIG. 3).

The prestigious watches may not have interest in being manipulated,charged, changed, in which case they may integrate in their wrist bandwhat they hesitate to have done on their dial. The watch of FIG. 4integrates in the wrist band 3 complications and a battery. SUNSET TABLE40° LAT N 50° N 60° N DATE CODE . . . DATE DATE CODE . . . DATE DATECODE . . . DATE 31.12 88 16.40 27.11 31.12 95 16.05 24.11 25.12 10815.00 6.12 1.01 87 16.45 13.11 1.01 94 16.10 19.11 1.01 107 15.05 28.119.01 86 16.50 7.11 8.01 93 16.15 15.11 3.01 106 15.10 25.11 14.01 8516.55 3.11 13.01 92 16.20 11.11 6.01 105 15.15 22.11 18.01 84 17.0029.10 16.01 91 16.25 8.11 9.01 104 15.20 20.11 22.01 83 17.05 26.1019.01 90 16.30 5.11 11.01 103 15.25 17.11 26.01 82 17.10 22.10 22.01 8916.35 13.11 13.01 102 15.30 14.11 30.01 81 17.15 18.10 25.01 88 16.4030.10 15.01 101 15.35 12.01 3.02 80 17.20 15.10 28.01 87 16.45 27.1017.01 100 15.40 10.11 7.02 79 17.25 12.10 31.01 86 16.50 24.10 20.01 9915.45 8.11 12.02 78 17.30 7.10 3.02 85 16.55 22.10 22.01 98 15.50 6.1116.02 77 17.35 4.10 6.02 84 17.00 19.10 24.01 97 15.55 4.11 20.02 7617.40 2.10 9.02 83 17.05 16.10 20.01 96 16.00 2.11 25.02 75 17.45 29.0912.02 82 17.10 14.10 28.01 95 16.05 31.10 1.03 74 17.50 26.09 15.02 8117.15 12.10 30.01 94 16.10 29.10 6.03 73 17.55 23.09 18.02 80 17.2010.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.03 72 18.00 20.09 21.02 79 17.25 7.106.03 76 17.40 28.09 15.03 71 18.05 17.09 24.02 78 17.30 5.10 8.03 7517.45 27.09 20.03 70 18.10 14.09 27.02 77 17.35 2.10 10.03 74 17.5025.09 25.03 69 18.15 11.09 2.03 76 17.40 30.09 12.03 73 17.55 24.0930.03 68 18.20 8.09 5.03 75 17.45 28.09 15.03 72 18.00 22.09 3.04 6718.25 5.09 7.03 74 17.50 25.09 16.03 71 18.05 20.09 8.04 66 18.30 2.0910.03 73 17.55 22.09 20.03 70 18.10 19.09 13.04 65 18.35 29.08 14.03 7218.00 20.09 22.03 69 18.15 18.09 18.04 64 18.40 26.08 18.03 71 18.0517.09 24.03 68 18.20 17.09 23.04 63 18.45 23.08 . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 28.04 62 18.50 19.08 12.05 54 19.30 07.08 22.0539 20.45 26.07 3.05 61 18.55 16.08 15.05 53 19.35 04.08 25.05 38 20.5023.07 8.05 60 19.00 12.08 18.05 52 19.40 01.08 27.05 37 20.55 20.0713.05 59 19.05 8.08 22.05 51 19.45 28.07 30.06 36 21.00 18.07 19.05 5819.10 4.08 26.05 50 19.50 24.07 2.06 35 21.05 15.07 24.05 57 19.15 30.0731.05 49 19.55 20.07 5.06 34 21.10 12.07 30.05 56 19.20 25.07 5.06 4820.00 16.07 8.06 33 21.15 8.07 8.06 55 19.25 18.07 12.06 47 20.05 12.0713.06 32 21.20 4.07 17.06 54 19.30 24.06 46 20.10 21.06 31 21.05

1. Electronic and mechanical device, integrated into a watch or wristband, displaying solar and lunar ephemeris at the planet scale,characterized in that it offers at least one visualization selectedamong the following possibilities the first visualization, an imagedisplay, displays all along the year the evolution of the duration ofthe day and of the night according to solar or legal time on an LCDdisplay, the second visualization, a numerical display, displays on awindow the sunset time only, wherein, in order to give the watch acomplete astronomical character, a mechanical or electronic partdisplays the phases of the moon at the scale of the two hemispheres. 2.Device according to claim 1, wherein the imaged display, without anynumber, is obtained via a circular LCD screen placed at the periphery ofa 24 hour dial of the watch with a dark portion representing the nightextending on both sides of midnight at regular intervals of 5 minutes,but at irregular day intervals, as a function of these 5 minutes. 3.Device according to claim 2 wherein the 24 hour dial has each hourdivided in 12 intervals by 6 bars thickened to the dimension of thespaces so that the 12 intervals are represented by 6 black spacesalternated with 6 white, the whole being now very legible and visible.4. Device according to claim 1 wherein a system, which enables themicroprocessor to place and keep every day the image of the night withinthe programmed limits, implicates a symbol of a parallel (60° N) and aday's date, these two pieces of information implicating a third one: thesunset time, on that day on that parallel, if at noon in that locationthe sun is at its zenith. According to a time schedule, immutable forcenturies, being transmitted by a decoder toward a microprocessor via acode.
 5. Device according to claim 4, wherein there are 144 codenumerals, synonymous to the 5 minute time periods, in order to be ableto satisfy the ephemeris at the polar circle, the sunrise being placedautomatically in full symmetry with the sunset, at the solar time. 6.Device according to claim 4, wherein, as the time schedules dictated bythe symbol of the selected parallel give the exact time only at theintersection of that parallel and the time reference meridian, thedifference shown between the display on the screens and the reality of areal sunset at any other location is correctable by a lateral pressurepush button.
 7. Device according to claim 1, wherein a winding mechanismis adapted in order to have in the southern hemisphere the sameevolution toward a “new moon” but in an aspect as seen from a mirror, ateach passage across the equator, to reverse the rotation direction of ablack double cache by pulling or pushing the winding mechanism, then byscrewing or unscrewing it, so as to go directly from the North phase tothe South phase, or reciprocally.
 8. Device according to claim 1,wherein some complications are located into the wristband.
 9. Deviceaccording to claim 6, wherein the push button is adapted such that anextended pressure triggers the process, short hits toward noon providethe correction, and a last extended pressure confirms it.